Work Smart: 10 Ways Technology Can Make You More Productive

As technology becomes more integrated with the workplace (what did we do before email?), there are a number of ways to leverage digital tools to boost productivity. From connecting with your team to managing various projects at once, tech solutions make it faster and easier to get your work done. Here’s 10 interesting ways technology can make you more productive:

1. Online collaboration

Hold meetings virtually so team members can connect from anywhere. Share screens or send documents during the meeting so everyone is on the same page. Record your virtual meetings to reference later or share with anyone who couldn’t make the meeting live.

Do you have multiple people working on the same project? Use cloud-based documents so you always have the latest version and can see others’ contributions. Share feedback and updates seamlessly with online living documents, connecting teams and getting projects completed quickly.

2. Learn something new

Job roles are constantly evolving. Stand out by building your skill set online. Research the kinds of skills that might set you apart in your position or industry and find an online course to start learning. While many online courses are free, your employer might be willing to pay the tuition for an online class if it will make you a more valuable asset to the company.

3. Project Management

We love a good pen and paper to-do list, but with changes, updates, and additions to your concurrent projects, you need a more powerful and versatile to-do list tool. Online project management solutions will help you organize your tasks in one place, add notes or assets, and move tasks around to keep your list prioritized. Keep track of all your to-do’s at every project stage.

A change of scenery tends to spark creative thinking and problem solving.

4. Work from anywhere

More and more companies are offering remote work or flexible schedules as a perk, but it might actually make you more productive, too. Depending on your field, a lot of tasks can be completed with nothing more than a laptop and a good wifi connection. Plus, a change of scenery tends to spark creative thinking and problem solving.

If you’re stuck on a problem or looking for some inspiration, set up your workspace somewhere new, like a local coffee shop. If working from home is an option for you, outfit your home office with a standing desk converter so you can work ergonomically, even if you’re away from the office.

5. Seamless communication

Technology so easily connects us to people, whether it’s our team members or an expert on the other side of the world. Communicate seamlessly and quickly, so you can keep projects moving. Whether it’s sending a document via email, asking a quick question by instant message, or picking up the phone to reconnect with an old colleague, whoever you need is always within reach.

6. Stay organized

Clear the clutter by eliminating printed documents. If there’s a pile of paperwork on your desk, scan in what you need and save it on your computer (or a cloud storage platform). Keep your digital clutter clear, too, by organizing similar files into folders and labeling assets clearly so they can be quickly located later.

7. Automate it

Want to send an important email to a client at a particular time? Schedule emails to send out at a certain time in advance, so it’s off your list but optimized for engagement. Always forgetting your various account passwords? Use an online password manager that securely stores your logins so you’ll never waste time resetting a forgotten password. Are you repeating the same task on different platforms? A digital task automation tool can do the heavy lifting for you, so you do it once and the rest is automatic.

Set deadlines to projects and get reminders when they’re coming up.

8. Get reminders

Never miss a meeting or deadline by setting up reminders, like a desktop pop up 15 minutes before a meeting or a flagged email jumping to the top of your inbox at a set date/time. Getting reminders requires you to actually create them in the first place, but it will be well worth it to know that your tech has got your back. If you use a digital project management solution (see #3 above), you can add deadlines to each task and get reminders when they’re coming up.

9. Streamline processes

As technology evolves, we have to evolve with it. Take a look at the processes you currently use and find weak points that could use some attention. Maybe the project approval process involves bringing printed copies of documents to your boss to mark up. What if you share the documents online and they annotate them digitally? The solutions will be different for everyone, but bringing more technology into your workflow might make the process smoother and more efficient.

10. Leave it to a freelancer

Sometimes the way to be most productive is to leave it to the pros. The gig economy is booming, and with online platforms for finding freelancers, it’s easier than ever to find someone best suited for the task.